Sam at 2 1/2

Sam -- you are TWO AND A HALF YEARS OLD (and one month and some days, but we'll ignore that). I can't believe that you are closer to three than two. How did THAT happen? I didn't write monthly updates when you were a baby so I want to write one now so I can remember things that you do or special things that happen.

You wear size 5 disposable diapers and most of your clothes are 2T with some 3T thrown in for fun. You are so tall and skinny (29.6 pounds (including clothes) and 37") and have no waist so we have to twist tie your belt loops together to keep your pants on :) You wore cloth diapers for most of your first two and a half years but now you are only in disposables. We got you a potty when you were 19 months old and you pee on it pretty regularly before your bath but don't really want to use it otherwise. I don't mind since you don't need diaper changes as often as you used to! Sometimes after your nap you even wake up dry so I think we're getting close to potty training!

You sleep really well at night, sleeping about 10-11 hours at night. You also still take an afternoon nap most days, sleeping from about 2 or 2:30 until between 4:30 and 5 when we wake you up. You don't always fall asleep right away but you lie quietly in your crib until you do. You've started to sleep with LOTS of stuffed animals and you like taking a board book with you to bed. Mommy and Daddy both liked to read in bed when they were younger so we can't really blame you! For the longest time you listened to a copy of Golden Slumbers which is what Daddy listened to when he went to bed but just a couple of weeks ago I made you a CD of quiet Kindermusik songs and now you listen to that. You like to fall asleep to music and, at night, one of your star lights is always on. At Oma and Opa's you fall asleep to Kim Thiessen.

This past month (October 1) we gave up your soothers. That was a hard transition for you but it doesn't even seem to phase you now. Yay! You used to have one bottle of milk when you first woke up in the morning and a bottle before your nap and bedtime but now you don't do that either. It's sad for Mommy to have you go through all these transitions but you are so good with them.

You eat okay, but not great. You are in a phase where you like oatmeal (instant, Maple and Brown Sugar flavour) and two mini-yogurts (vanilla and blueberry are favourites) for breakfast. A couple of weeks ago you told me what you wanted for breakfast and then said, "Those are my choices Mommy." I guess we've been giving you a lot of choices lately! You usually have leftovers for lunch and eat pretty much anything for supper. Except you don't really like goulash and I don't know why. You love lentils and curries and smoothies and eggs and peanut butter sandwiches. And you are starting to make your own sandwiches (with help) so that's exciting for you!

Before supper we each say one thing we are thankful for and sometimes you want us to hold hands and sing "Praise God for daily bread" which is "God is Great and God is Good." You learned about holding hands and singing grace at Oma and Opa's this summer. You also like it when Opa says it's time for "Amen sagen."

We transitioned you out of your highchair at the end of August. You now have a booster seat on a chair and your own special place mats. You aren't very good at sitting in your booster seat (you'd rather stand) and have fallen off the chair a couple of times. You don't cry though -- you just seem sort of surprised :)

Sam, you are such a good big brother to Baby Rachel. You love her so much and like talking to her, giving her a soother and just generally being around her. You have just welcomed her into your life with such grace and I am so happy about that. I am excited to watch the two of you grow up together. You are so patient when Mommy or Daddy need to be with Baby Rachel because she is crying and you rarely complain. Thank you for being such a good big brother.

A couple of days ago I found out you could already open door handles. I didn't know you could do that. And you are getting really good at walking down stairs, holding onto the rail. Although when it is just a few stairs, like our porch, you don't even use a handle, especially for going up. Your favourite songs are "Knows Everybody" (I'm From The Country), "Baby Beluga", "Train Whistle Blowing" (which you say really fast so it sounds like one word), "Rock Island Line" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." This summer they did construction on 99th Street and your favourite thing to do was to stand at the window and watch all the action. You love construction vehicles (and know all their names too), fire engines and trains.

You say some super-cute things, some of which I have written about before but I will add them here again. You like looking for "the walking man" when we cross the street and you say, "No please" instead of "No thank-you." You like to "make a massage" for Mommy or play with my hair. You say you are putting spikes in it like they do when we get your hair cut. You also ask a lot of questions and want to know what every song I listen to is about!

Sam you are so independent that sometimes you drive Mommy and Daddy a little bit nuts. But we have learned that you can walk around wearing "a shoe and a boot" as is your preference these days and that you can pick your oatmeal up from the counter and put it on the table "by yourself." You are also so sweet and helpful. You have your chores around the house which you love to do. By far and away your favourite chore is putting cans of Coke in the fridge so it's cold for Mommy and Daddy! You also put things in the recycling and in the laundry baskets and just last week you got into putting your own clothes away -- socks, t-shirts and PJs -- and emptying the little garbage cans into the big kitchen garbage. And you even help Mommy out by showing her where the post office is or reminding me that I don't need to go to the library twice in one day! You are getting sooooooo big.

You are a busy little boy. You enjoy playing with your New Mom's friends, especially Olivia. You love going to the nursery at MOPS and you love love love Kindermusik. This session we are doing Wiggle and Giggles and you really like singing "Wishy washy, wishy washy, wishy washy wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" I love hearing you sing. You like it when we go to Cafe O Play because you have so much fun there. Auntie Tasha hangs out with you every Thursday night and you enjoy her so much, especially when you go to Wild Earth for a treat. On Sundays you have swimming lessons with Daddy and that's fun for both of you.

You recognize a lot of your letters and, in fact, were tested with letters instead of pictures at the optometrists when you were just past two. You like finding the letters in your name and you also point out every "R for Rachel" you see. You like to watch your "singing video" with Sharon, Lois and Bram and Fred Penner.

Sam, we love you soooo much and are so happy that we get to know you and watch you grow up.